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UBM history

UBM: Championing business media since 1843..,

UBM was originally incorporated in 1918 as United Newspapers Limited, changing its name to United News and Media in 1995. The business kept this name until 2000 when United Business Media was formally adopted. In May 2011 UBM changed its name from United Business Media Limited to UBM plc.

The history of the companies that now make up UBM stretches back over 150 years to titles launched in the 19th century such as Building Magazine and Chemist & Druggist, launched in 1843 by Joseph Hansom.

Over the last thirty years, UBM has owned, bought and sold a wide range of media businesses, including broadcast television (Meridian, Anglia, HTV), market research (NOP) and newspapers (Express Newspapers). PR Newswire, established in 1954, was acquired in 1982; CMP Media was acquired in 1999 (and subsequently renamed CMP Technology); CMPMedica was formed from a series of acquisitions made during 2004 and 2005; and CMP Asia, now UBM Asia, was formally founded in 1994, although UBM had developed a substantial business in Asia over the course of the preceding decade. In 2010 UBM acquired Canon Communications LLC, the leading media business dedicated exclusively to the global advanced manufacturing sector, with a particular focus on medical devices and pharmaceutical development. Most recently in December 2014 UBM acquired Advanstar which placed UBM as the leading events business in the US.

UBM plc has progressively focused on its global portfolio of industry-leading tradeshows, and in November 2014 set out its new strategy to become the world's leading B2B events business - the 'Events First' strategy. UBM is now the world’s second largest events organiser, and is well placed geographically, with relatively high exposure to the higher growth Emerging Markets and with the acquisition of Advanstar providing good exposure to the US, UBM now describes itself as a global events-led marketing and communications services business.

In February 2015 UBM's London office moved to 240 Blackfriars Road (pictured above). Photo courtesy of Gensler